Kinda sounds like family…. Fight, fight, fight, never give up and then…just before the last punch ….think…….how far do we need to go……….we are family, we are the same……..we are different….but more in common than not…….
I’m just a little confused on the jailbreak. “108 inmates escaped” but “112 inmates recaptured”? Huh? Where did the extra 4 who were “recaptured” come from?
On the Ali-Forman issue, I’m more verbal. I suggest we “agree to disagree”. If the other doesn’t go along with this, I walk away.
Agreeing not to take Forman down was agreeing to step back from “polishing him off”. By agreeing to disagree is the same. However there are some people where winning is everything, regardless of the situation. When I come up against that, I again, won’t “polish them off”.
My take on agree to disagree is when people are unable to compromise on an agreement. In the case of Ali/Foreman, there was an implied agreement as Ali won. Anything short of winning would have been a loss. He only inflicted enough pain to achieve the objective of winning, hence the saying never hit a man when he’s down.
Boxing is a sport, albiet a brutal one. Do athletes truly hate each other, or is the trash talk game hype? Also first PPV was 1981, according to Google.
If you are boxing you’d better have a strong dislike, especially at that level, or you will lose. I’m mean, it IS, after all, a fight to knock your opponent out. Ball sports, not so much.
I play volleyball where we don’t even trash talk, the women at least, but was thinking of something told to me by an MMA fighter. He said the goal in the ring is to “beat your opponent bloody” (think I turned white at this point as repugnant thought to me), but once out of the ring they go have a beer together. Makes me realize, “different strokes for different folks”. Just because I am totally opposed to any type of physical violence doesn’t mean others are awful people if they find fighting enjoyable. And, we probably need both types in society. If a war, I’ll be in the back patching up the wounded, but there is a need for those on the front line.
I too grew up on games of strategy. It was not only a challenge but fun. I remember beating my best friend at tennis. She was the tennis champ of my class. I had her running all over the court with little effort on my part. She was really emotionally invested in winning and was furious that I used her emotions against her. My emotions were invested in getting her tired out. (A la Ali)
Bill, Your article today got me thinking about the special relationship between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling. There are numerous documentaries and articles on them.
This link is related to today's theme around friendship but other articles go more deeply into the the courage, grace and generosity shown by them. Truly inspiring!
Kinda sounds like family…. Fight, fight, fight, never give up and then…just before the last punch ….think…….how far do we need to go……….we are family, we are the same……..we are different….but more in common than not…….
I’m just a little confused on the jailbreak. “108 inmates escaped” but “112 inmates recaptured”? Huh? Where did the extra 4 who were “recaptured” come from?
On the Ali-Forman issue, I’m more verbal. I suggest we “agree to disagree”. If the other doesn’t go along with this, I walk away.
Your second paragraph was confusing to me.
Agreeing not to take Forman down was agreeing to step back from “polishing him off”. By agreeing to disagree is the same. However there are some people where winning is everything, regardless of the situation. When I come up against that, I again, won’t “polish them off”.
Call me obtuse but I’m still missing something.
Sorry. Lost in translation.
My take on agree to disagree is when people are unable to compromise on an agreement. In the case of Ali/Foreman, there was an implied agreement as Ali won. Anything short of winning would have been a loss. He only inflicted enough pain to achieve the objective of winning, hence the saying never hit a man when he’s down.
I am sending you a”like” but the heart won’t turn red, I agree. Play nice
220 escaped, 112 recaptured and the remainder still on the run
When you “agree to disagree” is it with a stranger or someone you know and will encounter again?
Either one.
Both winning - and losing gracefully - are indicators of integrity. I wish our politicians had some.
Bill, great writing about the fight. Truly makes you think!
Don't get me started.....
Boxing is a sport, albiet a brutal one. Do athletes truly hate each other, or is the trash talk game hype? Also first PPV was 1981, according to Google.
Trash talking is often part of the fun of the game, not an indication of hatred
If you are boxing you’d better have a strong dislike, especially at that level, or you will lose. I’m mean, it IS, after all, a fight to knock your opponent out. Ball sports, not so much.
I play volleyball where we don’t even trash talk, the women at least, but was thinking of something told to me by an MMA fighter. He said the goal in the ring is to “beat your opponent bloody” (think I turned white at this point as repugnant thought to me), but once out of the ring they go have a beer together. Makes me realize, “different strokes for different folks”. Just because I am totally opposed to any type of physical violence doesn’t mean others are awful people if they find fighting enjoyable. And, we probably need both types in society. If a war, I’ll be in the back patching up the wounded, but there is a need for those on the front line.
I too grew up on games of strategy. It was not only a challenge but fun. I remember beating my best friend at tennis. She was the tennis champ of my class. I had her running all over the court with little effort on my part. She was really emotionally invested in winning and was furious that I used her emotions against her. My emotions were invested in getting her tired out. (A la Ali)
Boo
Your fight story was meaningful, read it out loud to my partner. That fight and boxing in general was not on my radar. But it is now.
Love this! I, too, was 4 years old. Did we really have pay-per-view back then?
I had just started college. Guess I’m old? According to sources:
“The fight was broadcast on closed-circuit television in theaters in the United States and on over-the-air television throughout the world.”
Closed circuit implies a form of PPV. I don’t remember and had other “things” on my mind back then!
Bill, Your article today got me thinking about the special relationship between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling. There are numerous documentaries and articles on them.
This link is related to today's theme around friendship but other articles go more deeply into the the courage, grace and generosity shown by them. Truly inspiring!
https://www.citizenathleteproject.com/pages/the-blog?p=friendship-brown-bomber-the-black-uhlan-of-the-rhine
Several metaphors come to mind when reading todays story. Thanks for another great issue.